


Lightning Before Thunder

by Aeroblitz



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen, Sorta a Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 04:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14347668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeroblitz/pseuds/Aeroblitz
Summary: “86.”Thundercracker ceased talking, a puzzled expression on his faceplates. “Excuse me? Can you repeat that?”Skywarp narrowed his optics, replying to the request with a slight growl, “86.”





	Lightning Before Thunder

Skywarp glared from a distance at the the blue Seeker. The other mech was clearly trying to flirt with his trinemate, and Starscream seemed oblivious to it all. That same oblivion almost sounded like the former-scientist was flirting back. But Skywarp knew better, that equivalent praising had always been ingrained into his trinemate’s interactions etiquette, ever since his early Science Academy days; Starscream had been taught to be polite and to always seem to have a sincere interest, if he hadn’t the tri-colored jet would have never gotten into the majority of high-caste social circles. Unfortuantly, unlike Skywarp, himself, Starscream was always naive when it came to love. Just take that shuttle for example…

The teleporter silently stewed as he watched his trinemate interact with the stranger, recalling his own meeting with the tri-colored Seeker.

_He was leaking energon; a lot of energon. There had been a… disagreement between quite a few of Iacon’s most dangerous criminial gangs, though compared to his own gang from Kaon, they were nothing. In anycase though, some slagger had gotten the drop on him during multi-gang brawl and everyone had disappeared by the time the black and purple Seeker came to._

_And with good reason… In the distance he could hear the approaching wail of sirens. The Seeker thought that was a little unusual as he staggered to his pedes. In Kaon the authorities usually did nothing even in the worse of the brawls, in fact more than a few of their ‘protectors’ would join in the fights even while on duty. Of course this was Iacon, the land of the upperclasses and surely those bright polished snobs could not afford their faux peace and perfect lives to be riddled with the barbaric dealings of ruffians. With each word that crossed his processor Skywarp took another shakey step forward. He had to make it to the alley. He had to make it somewhere safe._

_As he neared the place of safe haven in the gloomy, grey, dim-litted alley that was going to be used for rendivious later, Skywarp first felt his legs go num. Processor now foggy, the teleporter felt it slowly fade to white. Or was it black? He couldn’t tell, the energon loss now greatly affecting him. He was falling… falling… falling ._

_And then… he wasn’t. His optics slowly onlined, blurry at first, but it soon became focused to a satisfactory level. Skywarp blinked owlishly, trying to make of where he was. This was not the rendivious zone, it was too clean and luxerious. And it certainly was the Iacon Prision, he had been there a few times before and it_ definitely _wasn’t this friendly looking. Unless they recently had a_ major _renovation that added plushy sofas and took away all of the eletrificed cell bars._

 _So… what happened? Where was he? Was he dead? Surely he wasn’t dead, he had not lost_ that _much energon. But… he had never been a place like this before. To a normal middle-caste bot in Iacon, such rooms and luxuries were something a little less than commonplace. For a bot with his origins, however, it was like an impossible thing, a dream only coming true in death. So Skywarp asked himself again, was he dead?_

_“Oh, good your awake. I was beginning to get worried, you lost a ton of energon.” A voice called from somewhere in the room, ped steps growing louder._

_Ah, so he wasn’t dead then. But where? And who?_

_“My designation is Starscream. This is my apartment.” As the figured neared Skywarp made out flashes of red, white, and blue markings on the stranger. It was to his, although pleasant, surprise that the other bot was also a Seeker. He didn’t think any other Seeker lived in Iacon. They usually stayed to Vos or Altihex, occasionally Praxus or Crystal City; in comparision Iacon was a good deal away, and not all that fond of the flying warframes._

_“Skywarp.” Skywarp said back, “My designation’s Skywarp. Ah, thanks for you know…”_

_The mech, Starscream, Skywarp told himself quietly, waved off the thanks, “Don’t mention it. I’m only glad I got there before the Enforcers did. What happened? You looked like you got mugged…”_

_The teleporter weakly shrugged, “S’was somethin’ like that-”_

After that day he had been with the other Seeker ever since. His days of crime and gangs and street brawls were over. Ever since that day, he just wanted to leave that old life of his in the past. He wanted to let go of his quick fused temper, his immediate actions going to violence. He wanted to get rid of that uptight attitude, constantly looking over his shoulder for any and all threats. After seeing what could be a better reality, he had bigger dreams that stealing a few old cubes from some restaurant or another. Instead, Skywarp was quick to offer help with anything his savior needed, and in return the white flier allowed Skywarp to stay with him. They had quickly formed a close friendship that way, and as the decacyles past their friendship slowly became something more. And that other blue mech… that-that _slagger_ threatend all of that!

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey! Wait up!” A voice called from behind, the thumping of pedes growing closer and closer. Skywarp stiffled a groan, not _him_ again! Skywarp walked faster, pretending to have not heard the other bot.

Unfortunately the blue Seeker had, by now, caught up, and kept pace with the teleporter. “You’re Starscream’s trinemate, Skywarp, right? Star talks about you so much, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. My designation is Thundercracker, and-”

Skywarp listened to the other mech gush, forcing a scowl off his face when the other Seeker said it was a ‘pleasure to meet him,’ bristling when Thundercracker used the nickname only his trineleader’s closest friends could use. The list for that number was very small, perhaps including only 4 mecha besides the M.I.A Skyfire and Skywarp, himself. And, as far as Skywarp knew, this slaghead was certainly not on the list. At least not _that_.

“86.”

Thundercracker ceased talking, a puzzled expression on his faceplates. “Excuse me? Can you repeat that?”

Skywarp narrowed his optics, reply to the request with a slight growl, “ _86_.” Seeing the other flier’s still highly confused expression, Skywarp turned abruptly on his thruster heel. “Follow,” he demanded curtly, not sparing a glance to see if the blue Seeker was. The echoing clack of a second pair of thruster heels told Skywarp all he need to know.

“Okay…”

It took less than a breem before Skywarp abruptly halted in front of a set of metal doors leading to where the flier’s rec room was. Skywarp strode in and gesture to everyone that was inside. “You expressed an interest in my Star, like everyone else here. You’re number 86, and so far you don’t fit the box. You won’t make the mold. So have a seat in the foyer; you see the lightning comes before the thunder.”

It was Thundercracker’s turn to growl; at Skywarp he wasn’t going to accept such a slight. He knew what the teleport was insinuating, and yes, he admitted there was some truth to it, but unlike those other bots he wasn’t a fool. He was more than capable to back up his intentions with flight skills, combat skills, and intelligence. He wasn’t a blind follower, and he would not accept what the black and purpler flier told him. He would not give the other flier a ‘yes sir;’ instead he would show Skywarp how powerful the thunder really was.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_When he was younger, Thundercracker wasn’t someone anyone would call exceptional. He was simply on par; average; common. Nothing great nothing extraordinary, and yet he stuck out like a sore thumb. Emphasis on the word sore._

_He was larger and bulkier than most of his peers, who were small and slender. The extra armor slowed him down in the air compared to them, and he was left behind only to be teased the next day. As such he did not have many friends, and even those few friendships weren’t really friendships at all. Those bots had manipulated the larger Seeker, using his loyalty to them, molding him as more as their bodyguard than anything else. It seemed like they all, including his teachers and creators, had marked him down as a bad guy. It didn’t matter that Thundercracker was the one being bullied, if he tried to defend himself he was always the one getting trouble due to his larger frame._

_After one to many times of being told, ‘You need to watch how you treat others,’ Thundercracker had decided that enough was indeed enough. The, then, blue Seekerling had retreated into his mind, the start of what would become a legendary brooding habit. He thought about how it was unfair, how mecha, including himself, were judged for certain societal roles based on their frame. He thought about how he could resolve that, what it would take, and what would happen afterwards. And the more Thundercracker thought the more he was convinced that the world needed change, and needed it now._

_Thundercracker knew that at his current ability level, he would be easily taken down. He needed to train, and stay with a constant schedule to bring out the maximum in his efforts. In the air he flew pushing his thrusters to a new limit each time. Soon he reached the normal Mach 2.5 of the other Seekers in his age group, and a little while later surpassed them at Mach 3.5. He worked on combat maneuvers in both the land and air until he had completed mastery of 6 Martial Arts Styles and 13 Weapon fighting styles. And through it all he challenged his processor, scheming against the Council of Oppressors and for the masses of other Cybertronians who were also beginning to believe in the blue Seekers same ideals._

_So it was with great pride when Thundercracker had enlisted himself for a cause meant for change. They called themselves the Decepticons, for the Cybertronian Council, had constantly called them deceptive conmecha, with the slogan of **’You Are Being Deceived’**. Led by a former-miner and gladiator designated Megatron, Thundercracker was positive they were going to bring freedom for all mecha to his home planet._

_That belief was only solidified when he met Starscream. He had become quick friends with the other Vosnian, marveling at Starscream’s dry humor and intelligence. The other Seeker apparently was a former scientist, from the Iacon Science Academy. The only way the other flier had gotten in, in the first place, was because he left his frame and function off the form. Once enrolled in the program, he could not be booted out unless he majorly ‘screwed up’. So when something happened, Thundercracker didn’t know what at the time, it was the perfect opportunity for the Council to get rid of warframe flier. It also was a cruel reminder of why things needed to change._

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thundercracker glared at the spot the teleporter was at last before he vanished from sight with a purple flash. _Who did Skywarp think he was?_ Prancing around like he was some big shot all because he was trined with the kindest, smartest, fastest flier on base… Pah, pathetic! Once Thundercracker was through with him, Starscream would trine with _him_ and Skywarp would be number 86!

The chance to put his plan in action came much sooner than the blue flier thought; it also came in a way completely different from how Thundercracker had initially planned it. Originally, he had planned to find a way to ‘spar’ with Skywarp, in front of Starscream, to prove his worth. Now in the heat of the battle, and with Starscream and Skywarp both pinned by the Autobots, the plan that formed in Thundercracker’s mind would not only save both Seeker, but would surely win Starscream’s attention and praise as well. And, if the blue flier was being optimistic, it could also potentially win some slight respect from the black and purple.

Without a moment’s delay, Thundercracker swooped in hard and fast towards the ground. As he neared closer emergency warnings flash red, demanding that the Seeker pull up. Thundercracker ignored such warnings, faintly hearing shouts of alarm and worry from the mecha fighting on the ground, as he added extra throttle to his thrusters. At the last possible second, the Vosnian, transformed, landing with a thud; before the Autobots could react to the new Decepticon presence, Thundercracker had released what was one of his most powerful sonic booms to date. The only warning of his attack was sent only to Starscream, a private comm saying, ::Turn off your audials! Brace yourself.::

Enemies blown away or knocked down from the sudden blast of sound, Thundercracker righted himself back into a standing position, turning so he could face the two other Seekers. To his amusement, which was barely kept off of his faceplates, it seemed that from the way energon was now dripping from Skywarp’s nose, the annoying teleporter had been cushioned by a piece of shrapnel during the blow. To Thundercracker’s relief, on the other hand, it seemed Starscream had heeded his warning and got to a safe place before the blue Seeker could touch down, and experienced no additional harm.

“Good timing, Thundercracker!” Starscream jogged over with a grin on his faceplates.

Skywarp wasn’t as thrilled as his trinemate, “Yeah, whatever.” He scowled, “We had it under control, Star. No need for TC here… ‘Sides if we were in _real_ trouble I’d just warp us out.”

Thundercracker was about to retort but the former scientist beat him to it with a sarcastic edge, “Oh, really? Then tell me: would that be before or _after_ the Firestormers had us _deactivated_?!”

“I-hmph!” The teleporter huffed, glaring daggers at Thundercracker. One look at the disgruntled black and purple Seeker and Thundercracker could tell the mech’s pride was damaged; in addition to the other reasons Skywarp came up with to hate Thundercracker.

Starscream turned back to him displaying a genuine smile that Thundercracker had seen before, but had never been on the receiving end of it. Sure he had receive a few smiles from the red and white Seeker, but those were in amusement or excitement or during an interesting discussion that the smaller flier had found particularly pleasing. Never before had the former scientist’s optics shimmer in appreciation or awe, wings canted in a respectful, nearly loving, tilt, with a lopsided, sweet smile. No, that had never happened before, and with all of Starscream’s attention suddenly bestowed on him, Thundercracker felt those same delighted, but nervous, cyber-butterflies fluttering in his spark chamber, as if he had taken center-stage in a theatrical performance.

The Autobots were beginning to stir from their unexpected meeting with the surrounding rubble. As it was Starscream seemed to notice that at the same time Thundercracker did, his smile seemed to morph into a more dangerous, sly smirk as he spoke, “It seems the Autoscums are waking back up. Would you be willing for a Round 2, _partner_?”

“Between you and me, those slaggers won’t know what hit them!” Thundercracker smirked in reply, a tad disappointed in the proceedings since the Autobots were now waking up. However, from the smaller flier words it seemed that Thundercracker was much higher up in the ‘rankings’ than he had been this morning. At the moment it seemed like the red and white Seeker seemed to consider him less like an 86(not that Starscream ever did; that was Skywarp’s thing) but more as a comrade; perhaps even, in the short, a future candidate for a trinemate.

Skywarp gaped at his trinemate. No, no… This couldn’t be happening! Starscream couldn’t; he wouldn’t… not even if that blue interloper had saved him. But he was, and that wasn’t right! This _Thundercracker_ mech had _Skyfire_ written all over it! How did his Star not see it? In the end this mech would only bring his trinemate pain and grief with future betrayal! Seriously, how could anyone trust someone with a designation like _Thundercracker_?!

For a minute Skywarp stood transfixed. The familiar rush of the battlefield swarmed around him again, as their temporarily downed enemies got back to their pedes and reentered the fray. In the teleporter short moment of hesitation he witnessed the ease his trinemate and the other seeker merged their fighting styles. His processor betrayed his spark in that moment noting how well Thundercracker’s strength accompanied Starscream’s sheer wit and battlefield intelligence; and with his Primus-gifted speed… Well, there was certainly a tactical advantage in inducting Thundercracker as their third. As a trine they would be unstoppable! Skywarp did his best to shake that thought from his processor, but as he observed more the more his spark felt willing to give the blue Seeker a chance.

The thought disgusted him at first, but then Skywarp realized something else: What was the point in flashes of bright lighting if it didn’t have the rumbling, echoing thunder behind it?

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Imagine Dragons: ‘Thunder’


End file.
